[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 59 (Wednesday, May 4, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COMMEMORATING HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2011

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate Holocaust 
Remembrance Day, or Yom Hashoah, and to pay tribute to the men, women, 
and children murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
  This week, we pause to join in solidarity with people around the 
world to remember one of the darkest chapters in human history. During 
the Holocaust, six million Jews were killed, and countless others were 
brutalized, raped, dehumanized, and robbed. The world pledged ``Never 
Again'' would such a tragedy be allowed to occur, but over sixty years 
later we continue to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred and 
intolerance, even genocide.
  The Days of Remembrance hold a deep meaning for me, as a Jew, and for 
my community. My district, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, 
is home to one of the largest concentrations of Holocaust survivors in 
the country. An estimated 3,500 Holocaust survivors live in the Chicago 
area, including the Village of Skokie, which boasts a vibrant Jewish 
community built by survivors in the 1940s and 50s. The community 
recently celebrated the opening of the new Illinois Holocaust Museum 
and Education Center, a state of the art facility dedicated to 
preserving the memory of the Holocaust.
  This year, we also mark the 65th anniversary of the verdicts at the 
first of the Nuremberg trials, as well as the 50th anniversary of the 
trial of Adolf Eichmann. By holding the perpetrators of genocide 
legally accountable for their heinous crimes, those trials were 
defining moments in the evolution of international justice. The trials 
also produced a comprehensive record of the Holocaust by collecting 
both documentary evidence and survivor testimony.
  In a world where genocide and other massive violations of human 
rights are far too prevalent, it is critical that we preserve the 
history of the Holocaust and the memories of survivors and other 
witnesses. This week, we pause to remember all those who perished, 
honor those who survived, and redouble our pledge to fight genocide, 
intolerance, and persecution wherever they occur.

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